Roasts You Should Know: Soulmate

We often get a variety of questions about each of our Honduran coffee roasts here at Alma Coffee.  

Some are fairly simple and straightforward, such as “what does this coffee taste like?” or “what brewing method do you suggest?” Other inquiries, conversely, are more ambiguous and ambitious, with one of our favs of all time being “should I fine grind the ___ roast if I’m going to be AeroPressing it at 352 ft. above sea level?” 

Starting at the farming level, our Soulmate roast is a single origin wet-wash coffee from our family farm, “Finca La Unica” in Corquin, Honduras. 

When we say “wet-wash,” we are referring to the processing method that turns raw coffee cherries into the more familiar un-roasted form of coffee commonly referred to as “green bean.”  

We’ll definitely dedicate a future blog post to all of the different washing processes and why they matter (other delicious roasts, such as the Natural Process or Honey Process, are processed a bit differently), but for now it’s important to note that we chose a wet-wash process for the Soulmate roast because it allows for greater control, scalability and consistency.  

Originally, the name “Soulmate” wasn’t even in our coffee roasting nomenclature. In fact, Alma Coffee as you know it today was “Copan Coffee Roasters (CCR)” yesterday, and the original names for all of our roasts were centered primarily around location and profile. 

The Soulmate roast, for instance, was formally referred to as the “Finca La Unica Medium Roast” when we were roasting beans as CCR.  

But that changed when we shifted to the Alma brand. Even under the title of CCR, the Finca La Unica Medium Roast was our most popular single origin Honduran coffee.  

During the branding shift we knew this medium roast would make a great centerpiece to our lineup. So, with Alma meaning “Soul” in Spanish, the name “Soulmate” quickly grew on our roasting team for a lot of different reasons.  

We wanted to express how perfect and versatile this medium roast was: it’s the coffee you can drink anytime, anyway, and anywhere without having to worry about the nuances of brew time or technique. 

Just like with a real-life soulmate, the Soulmate roast is perfect every time, all the time.  

Back when we started roasting coffee under the alias of Copan Coffee Roasters, we knew from the get-go that a medium roast would be the most popular offering in the long run. 

We would argue that, just like the three bears in the fable of Goldilocks, the coffee drinking world tends to gravitate towards what they consider a “just right” medium roast that balances all ends of the light and dark spectrum.  

However, we didn’t get that “just right” taste on our first try. 

One of our founders, Harry Hutchins, spent months toiling and testing washed-process beans from Finca La Unica. Eventually he landed on the perfect recipe that would become our Soulmate roast, but that didn't happen in a vacuum.

We took extensive notes from feedback given by fellow master roasters, friends, and family before we landed on the “Finca La Unica Medium Roast,” or, as you now know it, the “Soulmate” medium roast.  

Even to this day we encourage feedback on our Soulmate roast from coffee lovers and customers across the world. We want to continue bringing you the perfect cup of medium coffee every morning, afternoon, evening, or late-night brew.  

Hopefully this blog clears up a lot of questions you may have had about the origin of the Soulmate roast, but we know there’s probably still an important stone left unturned—what’s the best method for enjoying it?  

As we laid out above, what makes Soulmate our most popular and versatile roast is a combination of farming, washing, and roasting consistencies. 

However, even after years of continuing to perfect this medium coffee to maximize the tasting notes, we are also confident that this single-origin roast can be enjoyed across the entire brewing spectrum.  

From drip coffee to espresso, there’s no doubt you will taste bold milk chocolate, clementine, and candied walnuts in every sip of our Soulmate roast. 

But, if you’re wondering what we think is the best way to brew this coffee, our vote goes to tried and true: drip brew.  

We also recommend giving this roast a pass under the high-pressure of an espresso machine. Personally, and I’m breaking the fourth wall here as the Alma blog writer, I find that the nuttiness of the coffee really comes out full force when it's brewed as espresso! 

Soulmate is a coffee with a story as extensive as its tasting notes. Regardless of how or when you like to enjoy coffee, Soulmate is one of the prized jewels of our coffee roasting journey and we would love if you experienced the medium roast with us! Pick up a bag today!  

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